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Q108: Make sense of this.

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Balthazar
Moderator
#1 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 20:23
In the Tintin books, how would the translated first name of a Luscinia megarhynchos from Lombardy, combined with a Demon-like pursuer that accomplishes less than is thought, take you to a place where Tintin reprimands Snowy for his drink-habit but then gets hooked himself?
yamilah
Member
#2 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 20:51
The translated first name of a Luscinia megarhynchos
from Lombardy = Milanese Nightingale = BIANCA (Castafiore) = WHITE
combined with a Demon-like pursuer = horned HART
that accomplishes less than is thought, take you to a place where Tintin reprimands Snowy for his drink-habit but then gets hooked himself?

'YE WHITE HART' is the name of the concerned inn, in The Black Island.

Is that what you meant, Balthazar?
Balthazar
Moderator
#3 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 21:31
You've got to the right end result, yamilah - Ye White Hart, in The Black Island.

And you got all the connections spot-on to get that first word, WHITE.

However, though you correctly guessed the second word was HART, you haven't yet worked out the correct Tintin-book-related clues to give you this word. Your alternative deciphering - "Demon-like pursuer = horned hart" - doesn't work as a satisfactory alternative because an actual hart (a stag) isn't horned like a demon, it's antlered; and because, as a herbivore, it wouldn't be a pursuer - it'd more likely be pursued. Sorry to make you work hard for your point, but could you just re-answer that second part of the question again to get the same answer? There is, within the Tintin books, a Hart that is genuinely Demon-like and genuinely a pursuer. My clue about it "accomplishing less than is thought" (which you also have yet to explain) probably matches the actual wording of the English version slightly more neatly than it does in the original French, but it still makes perfect sense as a description of the book's narrative in any language version.

Anyway, once you've fully cracked this HART bit, I'll give you the point. (In fact I'll give you the point even if someone else leaps in and answers that bit for you, since you've done most of the work - I'm not being mean; I just want the whole thing answered fully!)

Hope that's fair. You'll enjoy the challenge, I'm sure.

And just for the sake of a really complete answer to my question, you might also explain (though I'm sure you and most members know) how Tintin gets hooked himself at Ye White Hart.
yamilah
Member
#4 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 21:51
- In Tintin in America, when the meadow is on fire, Tintin sees 'a hart pursuing a puma' while both are trying to escape this kind of a hell.
- In The Black Island, at 'Ye White Hart', Tintin is 'hooked' around his neck by one of the Thompsons' sticks.
Balthazar
Moderator
#5 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 22:12
yamilah
In Tintin in America, when the meadow is on fire, Tintin sees 'a hart that pursues a puma'.
Goodness, I'd forgotten about that one and it certainly fits the "pursuer" part of my question. But that hart couldn't be described as Demon-like (especially as it's running away from a fire!) and it couldn't really be said to have accomplished less than is thought, since although Tintin thinks it's attempting to catch a puma, nobody actually thinks it's accomplished anything.

Sorry to seem picky - I'm impressed by the attempt. But - trust me - you'll find the actual answer a much better fit for the question! (And once you've found it, you'll be able to link it to your puma-chasing hart by counting it as one of Hergé's word-play connections that you like spotting and we like debating the existence of!) And I know from some of your previous questions, and from some of the links to websites you've given before, that you have the information to find my Demon-like pursuer Hart at your disposal. A clue: note that I'm using a capital H and capital D for my Hart and Demon.


In The Black Island, Tintin is 'hooked' at his neck by one of the Thompsons' sticks.
Yep, that tidies up that pun in my question.
yamilah
Member
#6 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 22:35
I'm baffled.
Hart .. Heart? hence White Heart = 'Coeur Pur'?, namely Tintin's 'Tibetan' name?

I suppose you mean Heart vs Demon = Angel vs Devil, as featured twice in Tibet by Snowy, i.e. a Devil who tries but fails to chase or repell the Angel?
Balthazar
Moderator
#7 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 23:07
Honestly, it's much neater and much simpler than any of your Hart-heart pun suggestions, though I admire the effort. It's definitely a Hart spelt H-A-R-T, you're looking for.

Some more clues:
There are in fact two Harts portrayed in the relevant section of the book in question. They're both pursuing. One appears to have accomplished its objcective, but fortunately it hasn't really. The Harts are "related" to Hinds, as well as to Demons, not to mention Furies as well. More clues soon, if you're still stuck.

As I said, I'll give you the point anyway once this bit of the question's cleared up, whether it's cleared up by you or by anyone else. So if any other quizzers want to leap in and answer this section - just for the kudos - you can do so guilt-free, knowing you won't be poaching yamilah's point!

From something Ranko said in his last posting to his Q107, this bit of the answer could be of interest to him (which gives you another clue).
yamilah
Member
#8 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 23:20
Then it should be the two Hawker Hart planes that pursue Tintin's de Havilland Puss Moth in Cigars (around p.31).

see http://membres.lycos.fr/wings2/tintin/cigare/cigare.htm

NB: I can't find any link to Harts related to Hinds or Furies. Would you be so kind to give one?
Thanks.
Balthazar
Moderator
#9 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 23:41
Hooray, you got it!

These Harts are "Demon-like" because the Hawker Demon was a fighter-plane variant, developed from the Hawker Hart, and very similar in appearance and design. (The Hawker Hind and Hawker Fury suggested by my clue were also similar planes based on the same design.) Arguably slightly obscure knowledge, though Googling the words Hart and Demon would take you quite quickly to the necessary Wikipedia page. And they were famous planes in their day, direct forerunners to the monoplane design of the Hawker Hurricane.

This Wikipedia page will give you all the info you need on this family of aircraft, I think.

The word "accomplishes" in my question, was a hinting reference to the returning pilot's phrase: "Mission acomplished" after they think they've shot Tintin down. (As I said, I'm not sure if anything like the word accomplish is said there in the French original.)

Anyway, a well-earned and much-toiled-for point for yamilah, scorekeeper!
yamilah
Member
#10 · Posted: 4 Dec 2006 23:53
Thanks Balthazar!

The French text reads 'mission accomplie'.

By the way, the 'helicopter' comment (see Q101) by Snowy in Prisoners reads 'drole de parachute' in the original version.

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